Corrugated metallic wall-plate element



June 19, 1928.

A. E. SMALL CORRUGATED METALLIC WALL PLATE ELEMENT Filed Aug. 30, 1926 u a a o a o hll ll llml|wl m wlwwm a m- 0 o a A. 0 R

19. 7 6 112 729111101 grt'hur E. raall Patented June 19, 1928.

"UNITED STATES 1,674,140 PATENT OFFICE.

' ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION BIE'I'AL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CORRUGATED METALLIC TALL-PLATE ELEMENT.

Application filed August 30, 1926. Serial No. 132,623.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars and more particularlyto metal end structures or walls for railway cars made of one or more metallic plates or panels formed with integral reinforcing, stiffening and bracing embossments or corrugations. It is well known that the end walls of railway cars are more likely to be broken or otherwise injured than the side walls. This is due to the inertia thrusts and pressures caused by the shifting of the cargoes when the train starts or stops. These thrusts may be local, tending to distort the end in some particular spot, as for example, when a piece of piping or lumber shifts lengthwise iniparting a blow against the end wall of the 'car; or there may be a general tendency to break out the end wall as a whole or tear it away from the framing. For the purpose, therefore, of greater strength and durability, car ends have been constructed of metal plates corrugated or formed with ribs to impart the desired strength, rigidity and resiliency.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a corrugated metallic end structure for railway cars in which the corrugations have a configuration and arrangement that impart to the structure a maximum capacity for resisting cargo thrusts, both local and general, static or quiescent, and with sutficient resiliency to prevent permanent distortion due to the thrusts of the loads, with a minimum weight of metal. It

' is important that structures of this sort should be as light as possible, consistent with strength and durability, both for reasons of economy in manufacturing cost and also to keep the weight of the car at a minimum.

A further object is to provide a corrugated metallic wall element that is practically pos sible to manufacture. A further object is to provide a metallic wall element with corrugations that resist to a greater degree torsional stresses, as well as brace the element, and the car end again'st diagonal side thrusts or weaving.

The combination of the embossments, ribs or corrugations comprising the reinforcement formedin the metallic plate is disclosed and claimed in my separateapplicat-ion for patent, Serial No. 595,632, filed October 19, 1922, and my application, Serial No. 132,621, filed August 30,1926, discloses and claims the Specific advantages and constructions wherein the corrugations or embossments are positioned vertically. WVhen the embossments are positioned horizontally the strong est part of the individual embossment, as well as the entire end wall, is adjacent the middle of the car.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 shows the end wall of a railway box car with my device applied thereon.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 1-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 shows the end wall of a railway gondola car with my'device applied thereon. Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive are sections on lines 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively, 01 Fig. 6 with the car parts omitted.

The end wall structure shown in the above figures comprises a panel composed of a corrugated metal plate or plates.

"Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. The corrugated plates 31, 32 and 33 extend across the car from top to bottom and are formed with integral flanges 4 along the vertical edges which overlap and are secured to the side walls 5 ofthe. car by any suitable means.

The top edge of the end wall is secured beneath the fascia boards 27 and the meeting edges of the plate overlap and are secured together by rows of rivets 28 and the lower edge of the end wall is secured to the end sill 29. Nailing strips 10 are secured to the plates 31, 32 and 33 by bolts and lining 1.1 is secured to the nailing strips 10. The embossments increase in depth from their ends toward their middle portion. In this arrangement the wall is very strong and very elastic at apredetermined place, preferably one-third from the lower ends of the embossments and also is very strong and relatively rigid adjacent the roofand adjacent the floor of the car.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the invention applied to a gondola type of car, wherein only one plate 12 is used to form the end panel which extends from side to side of the car and is providedalong the vertical edges with flanges 13 which overlap and are secured to the side walls 14 by any suitable means. The top edge of the plate is secured to the top chord 15 by rivets 16, while the lower edge is secured by rivets 17 to the end sill 18. In this arrangement the embossioo ments are positioned horizontally so that the wall is very strong and elastic adjacent the middle of the wall and relatively rigid adjacent the side walls of the car.

Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive are sections on lme 7. 8, 9 and 10, respectively, with the parts of the car omitted. Numeral l is the plate; 2 the plane of the plate; '5 is the major c orrugation that forms the principal stiffening and rigidil'yin r element; (3 is the valley tor-med between the major corrugations; 7 is the minor corrugation that sets within the major corrugation 5 8 is the extren'iity of the corrugation and 9 is the flat apex of the major corrugation.

The major corrugations are relatively shallower adjacent their ends and increase in depth toward their middle and are also preferably relatively narrow adjacent their ends and increase in width toward their middle. In the preferred form the line of maximum depth is near the line of maximum width.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form wherein the corrugation is deeper adjacent its lower end than adjacent its upper end and the minor corrugation is of constant depth the major portion of its length.

The construction may also be described as a. plurality of corrugations which merge into each other adjacent their ends. These corrugations are spaced apart distances equal to their width so as to form a symmetrical cross section about a line midway between their outermost portions, thereby obtaining the maximum amount of strength for a minimum amount of steel in the plate. The merged ends form a corrugation which is preferably relatively wider and shallower and such corrugations (merged ends) are also symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between their outermost portions.

The strutcnre is designed to be formed between dies which move toward each other in one direction only, therefore, to facilitate pressing by equally distributing the stretch in er oi the metal the corrugations are so Formed that the length of the center line of the metal o't' every cross section normal to the corrugations are equal, i. e., between the terminal portions.

The embossments or corrugations are preferably of constant width and depth equi-distent on opposite sides of their center toprovide die adjustment for different length corrueations.

lVhile the corrugations are shown pressed outwardly it understood that the corrugations may be pressed inwardly, or partially inwardly and partially outwardly, from the original plane of the plate. The plates or panels may be applied to any type of railway car.

Metallic plates co'rrugat-ed as described wherein a plurality of corrugations merge into a contiguous, sinuous and uniform configuration possess the advantage of great strength and elasticity and (by merging the corrugations together at their extremities) simplifies the termination into the original plane and margins of the plate resulting in a plate of comparatively little weight of maximum strength and one that is easy to nnnmtactnre. rrlthongh the figures disclose a plurality ot sinuous corrugationsmerging together, it is to be understood that my invention not limited to this particular contiguration but the corrugatimis at this point may be of any cross section.

lly thus forming a mct'alic plate I provided a plurality of corrugations or beams which cooperate to form a very strong strut tnre capable of absorbing considerable stress without: much deflection and which also form a resilient structure below the center of the corrugations so that when the plate deflects under extreme load it rebounds or returns to its normal position without appreciable permanent distortion.

This application is confined to the construction wherein the major corrugation is split into two or more minor corrugations, while my application Serial No. 595,634, tiled October 1.), 1922, on metal end str11cturcs for railway cars covers a construction wherein the minor corrugations i'nerge to form the major corrugation.

While the drawings show only two reinforcements in each plate, it is understood that; any number of such reinforcements may be formed in an individual plate or the panel structure may be composed of a plurality of plates secured together, each of such plates having one or more such reinforcements formed therein.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of corrugations symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between their outermost portions which merge into each other adj acent their ends to forni a plurality of wider corrugations symmetrical in cross section about a center line midway between their outermost portions. said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion.

2. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, isaid corrugations merging adjacent the endsof the plate into a lesser number of corrugations lltl spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, said corrugations increasingin depth from their ends toward their middle portion. i

3. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, said corrugations merging adjacent the ends of the plate into a lesser number of wider corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal-to their width, said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion.

4. A metallic plate wall element provided with a plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, said corrugations merging adjacent the ends of the plate into a lesser number of wider corrugations, said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion.

5. A metallic plate wall element provided with a plurality of corrugations which merge into each other adjacent their ends into a lesser number of corrugations said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion.

6. A metallic plate wall element provided with a plurality of corrugations which merge into each other adjacent their ends into a lesser number of wider corrugations, said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion.

7. A metallic plate wall element provided with a plurality of corrugations which merge into each other adjacent their ends into a lesser number of wider corrugations, said corrugations increasing in depth from their ends toward their middle portion, the length of the center line ofthe metal being equal at every cross section of the corrugated portion of the plate normal to the corrugations.

8. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of sinuous and contiguous corruga tions, said corrugations merging adjacent the ends of the plate into a lesser number of shallower corrugations with substantially flat apices.

9. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of sinuous and contiguous corrugations, said corrugations merging adjacent the ends of the plate into a lesser number of shallower, deeper and wider corrugations with substantially flat apices.

10. A wall structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurallty of corrugations, the opposite ends of ad acent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a lesser number of shallower corrugations.

11. A wall structure for a. railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to op .positcly disposed frame members of the car,

sitely disposed frame members to form a' lesser number of shallower and wider corrugations.

12. A wall structure for railway car comprising a. metallic plate. secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a. plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, the opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form, a. lesser number of shallower corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width.

13. A wall structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate. secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width, the opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plate adj acent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a lesser number of shallower and wider"corrugations spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width.

14. A wall structure for a railway ear comprising a metallic plate secured to oppo sitely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a. plurality of corrugations symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between the outermost portions of the corrugations, the opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a lesser number of shallower corrugations symmetrical in cross section about a line. midway between the outermost portions of the corrugations.

15. A wall structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of corrugations symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between the outern'iost portions of the corrugations, the opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a lesser number of shallower and wider corrugations syn'inietrical in cross section about a line midway between the outermost portions of the corrugations.

16. A wall structure. for a. railway car comprising a. metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of conlUU tiguous sinuous corrugations, the Opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into the plnte adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a. lesser number of SllilllUW- comprising :i metallic plate secured to oppo- 10 sitely disposed frame members of the ear,

said plate provided with :1 plurality of contiguous sinuous corrugations, the opposite ends of adjacent corrugations merging into each other and terminating into [lie plnle adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members to form a lesser number of shallower and wider cormgntions with substantially .flntupiccs.

ARTH UR E. SMALL. 

